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Cook's Illustrated Foolproof Pie Dough

On the Banks of Salt Creek
If you feel like you can't make pies because of the pie crust, this recipe is for you.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 1

Ingredients
  

  • 1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour 6 1/4 ounces
  • 1/2 teaspoon table salt
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter 3/4 stick, cut into 1/4-inch slices
  • 1/4 cup chilled solid vegetable shortening cut into 2 pieces
  • 2 tablespoons vodka cold
  • 2 tablespoons water cold

Instructions
 

  • To ensure the butter and shortening are cold when you add them to the flour, slice and put into a bowl, then put the bowl into the refrigerator or freezer until needed. Likewise with the liquids. Measure your water into a cup then the vodka and put the cup into the refrigerator or freezer (because of the vodka it will not freeze completely).
  • Measure out you flour and put 3/4 of a cup into a food processor. Add you salt and sugar. Give two quick pulses to combine.
  • Add your butter and shortening to the bowl of the processor. Process for about 10 seconds. All of the flour should be coated at this point. Scrape down the sides of the bowl to redistribute the butter and shortening. Add the rest of the flour. Pulse mixture until you can still see small size pieces of butter in the flour (about 6 one second pulses).
  • Dump flour/fat mixture into a bowl and drizzle the vodka/water liquid over it.
  • Use a spatula to mix the flour and liquid. You will need to do more pressing than mixing to incorporate the liquid.
  • Dump the mixture onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Using the plastic wrap to help, form it into a disc (should be about four inches wide).
  • Put disk (wrapped in plastic wrap) into the refrigerator for at least 45 minute or up to two days.

Notes

The vodka adds additional liquid to make the dough easier to roll out but it doesn't create gluten (gluten makes crust that is tough). In addition, you actually need to use more flour in the rolling out process because of the vodka. More flour always make it easier to roll out pie dough but also make for a more dense crust.
Not only is this pie dough a breeze to work with but it taste amazing. Shortening is great for flakiness (butter is too) but the butter adds great flavor.